UK Government Authorises The Return Of Competitive Sport Behind Closed Doors On 1 June

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Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

The UK Government has given the green light to competitive sport taking place behind closed doors in England from Monday 1 June.

Horse racing at Newcastle, north-east England, and snooker Championship League event in Milton Keynes – 90km north-west of London, will both take place on Monday while football in the form of Premier League will re-start on 17 June with live sport having been curtailed since mid-March in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Oliver Dowden said at the government’s daily briefing:

“The wait is over. Live British sport will shortly be back on in safe and carefully controlled environments.

“This guidance provides the safe framework for sports to resume competitions behind closed doors. It is now up to individual sports to confirm they can meet these protocols and decide when it’s right for them to restart.

“Football, tennis, horse racing, Formula 1, cricket, golf, rugby, snooker and others are all set to return to our screens shortly.”

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Coronavirus – the Eyes Have It Photo Courtesy: Lorenzo Zazzeri

Each sport will have to assess the risk and consult athletes, coaches and support staff and as it stands, international competitors will need to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival from 8 June with the UK set to introduce new quarantine measures for international travellers.

England are set to host West Indies in a three-Test cricket series against West Indies starting on 8 July, golf’s European tour season is due to resume in July with a six-week ‘UK Swing’ tournament and  Formula One is slated to be held with a British Grand Prix double-header in late July/early August at Silverstone.

The key UK Government protocols that must be adhered to:

  • All competition delivery partners and user groups involved, from the teams and athletes, to the support staff, officials and media, must travel individually and by private transport where possible
  • Prior to entering the competition venue, they are expected to carry out a screening process for coronavirus symptoms. Anyone with known or suspected Covid-19 will not be permitted to enter and should be placed, or remain, in isolation
  • Social distancing should be maintained by all groups where possible. This includes the competing athletes and support staff on the bench and field of play, such as during any disputes between players and referees, or scoring celebrations
  • Dressing room usage should be minimised. However, showers can be used
  • Competition delivery partners and elite sports organisations should appoint a named Covid-19 officer to be responsible for oversight of all planning and communications

This applies to England with the Scottish and Welsh governments issuing their own guidance.

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Great Britain 4x100m medley relay in Gwangju – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

British Swimming announced on Tuesday that 32 swimmers will be allowed to return to training at the national centres in Loughborough and Bath allowing the likes of Adam Peaty, Siobhan O’Connor, James Guy and Freya Anderson to get back in the pool.

However, it is unclear when Duncan Scott and his University of Stirling team-mates Aimee Willmott and Ross Murdoch will be able to resume.

So too Dan Jervis and Alys Thomas who are based in Swansea.

The Scottish government has issued guidelines that forbid people to travel more than five miles to exercise which would rule out any journey to base themselves at one of the National Centres.

Despite the UK Government’s position, athletes in Scotland and Wales cannot restart until their governments allow them to travel or until social distancing measures are eased so the University of Stirling base can re-open.

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